I’m with the Calpundit. This maneuver by the Dean campaign is clever, and I do wonder if this is the first time it has been done (at least this openly).
For those of you who can not reach the website, I will post Dave Cullen’s remarks below.
*** NOTE ***
The following was written by Dave Cullen, and I am only reproducing it here because some of my readers are, for whatever reason, unable to visit his site:
I’m still looking into the background on this, but Howard Dean may have just pulled off the most brilliant tactical move of the campaign so far.
Iowa is shaping up as the most important state in the race, and it has only one Democratic rep in Congress–Leonard Boswell–who has apparently been targetted by Karl Rove for defeat.
So today, Dean campaign manager Joe Trippi sent out a message to Dean supporters explaining this and asking for donations for Boswell. A few minutes ago, the Dean blog posted a gracious letter from Boswell saying, “This is one of the most exciting projects I have ever seen!” The entry also reported that the Boswell campaign has tracked over $30,000 in donations from Dean supporters today.
What a clever way to win the undying love of one of the most powerful Dem politicians in the critical state 47 days before the caucus?
And if it doesn’t bring an endorsement, it might at least head off one for local boy Gephardt. And/or, it could impress a lot of diehard Iowan Dems (the kind who turn out to caucuses on icy January nights) who are nervous about losing their lone rep. It comes off as a really selfless act, a real show of concern for Iowans . . .
At the very least he’s going to get a whole lot of crucial media coverage in Iowa, and probably a whole lot of good will. Sure seems like the kind of thing that will play well in Iowa, no?
They have been working ideas like this for awhile, actually. For months they have had teams of Dean volunteers on do-gooder projects just to earn the love and admiration of the locals. But this is taking it to a big new level.
Has this been tried before? Seems so obvious, why didn’t someone think of this years ago? Or did they?
Moe Lane
For those of us who are blocked from seeing either, what’d Dean do that was clever?
John Cole
I put Cullen’s whole post in the extended entry for this post.
Moe Lane
Ah. I see what you mean: yup, that was pretty smart. Good way to show that Dean’s ready to carry water for his party, too.
Dean
While Dean’s move is very intelligent, I’m not sure just HOW different it is from, frex, a sitting President making campaign tours in the district/home state of a candidate.
Of course, if the President isn’t popular, then you might not want him campaigning, but I guess the big difference here is that Dean is showing that a candidate can ALSO drum up $$.
Kimmitt
It always pleases me when good people do well by doing good.